Chris Young shines in second straight spring start for Mets

Published 12:00 am, Friday, March 4, 2011

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) -- Chris Young allowed an unearned run in three innings, helping the New York Mets beat the Florida Marlins 4-3 Friday.

Young gave up two hits, struck out two and walked none, throwing 28 of 51 pitches for strikes. He has not allowed an earned run during five innings in spring training.

"I wasn't thrilled with my ball-to-strike ratio today, but the results were good, and sometimes the results are better than the way you pitch, and sometimes the opposite," he said. "Most importantly, I felt good. I felt strong. The ball had life on it, and it's something to build on."

Javier Vazquez made his first spring training appearance for the Marlins and allowed one run and three hits in three innings. He struck out three and walked none.

Vazquez has acknowledged his velocity dropped last year, when he was 10-10 with a 4.91 ERA for the New York Yankees. He fastball averaged 88-89 mph Friday, topping out at 91.

"I had pretty good life on my fastball today," he said. "I'm trying to use my legs a little bit more than I used to do the past."

Vazquez said worked out with a trainer during the offseason on exercises he hopes will help boost his velocity.

"So far, I feel good," he said. "I also understand it's pretty early in spring training. Hopefully, my arm is getting stronger, and the more pitches I throw will add strength to it."

Vazquez agreed to a $7 million, one-year contract with the Marlins in December and is in line to make his first start of the regular season against the Mets.

"I've faced those guys before and they faced me. So they're not looking at anything new," he said.

Nick Evans doubled off Edward Mujica in the eighth inning and scored the go-ahead run on Mike Nickeas' sacrifice fly.

New York had 11 hits, including two apiece by Evans, Scott Hairston and Lucas Duda.

Florida's Chris Coghlan, recovering from knee surgery, made a nice catch on Luis Castillo's sinking liner leading off the game. Coghlan had never played center field before this spring training, having come up to the major leagues as a left fielder in 2009 after playing second in the minors.

Coghlan walked, scored a run and sprinted out a bunt single. He had season-ending surgery in August to repair a torn left meniscus.

"Today was just another great step for me," the 2009 NL Rookie of the Year said,

John Baker went struck out and singled in two at-bats as Florida's designated hitter, his first action since May.

Baker, a catcher, missed most of last season because of a right forearm strain and had elbow-ligament replacement surgery on Sept. 3. He won't start catching until May.